Ice Age 4: The Age of Man
by nineteennintytwo
Summary: The herd never thought that they would see 'Pinky' again. Until, of course, they did. But with vengful sabres out to get him, will Roshan and his friend Anlegg be able to stay out of danger? Pairings include Manny/Ellie, Scrat/Scratte & Roshan/OC.
1. A Place of the Past

Hi!

Yeah, this is my first Ice Age fanfic, so please go easy on me if the characters seem a little OOC. I did try my best. But that still doesn't mean that you shouldn't read this. Just please give it a read and tell me what you think? I won't mind if it's constructive criticism, but please don't flame.

And in case you're wondering, Roshan is twelve in this story. And if you want to know how I figured out his age, just read wah-keetcha's fic If Tomorrow Should Never Come.

Disclaimer: I only own characters that you don't recognize. The rest belong to Fox and Blue Sky Studios.

Please, enjoy!

* * *

A Place Of The Past

Climbing up the ice-covered glacier, Scrat used his highly sensitive nose to follow the trail of his beloved acorn, which was in the hands of that tricky female squirrel. It had been so long since he had last seen both, and Scrat had not given up hope in finding the thing he loved the most. It was an instinct, as some would call it.

Scrat continued his vertical climb upwards until he came across a small crack, which began to form into a larger crack the further up he went. Scrat followed it upwards, until his nose collided with something which smelt very familiar. He looked up, and found himself staring at his beloved acorn. It was sticking out of the ice at an angle, and Scrat let out a cry of delight. And what was more, the tricky Scratte was no where in sight.

Scrat stood on his hind legs and gave his acorn a tug. It didn't budge. Scrat's smile turned upside down, before he pulled harder. The acorn still didn't come out. Whimpering a little, Scrat kept on pulling and pulling, until finally, the acorn popped out. Scrat used his free hand to cling onto the ledge whilst his other hand clung onto his acorn; he gave it a hug, before his eyes shifted a little so as they were looking inside the hole. They looked away, before going wide with shock.

Scratte was staring back at him, a flirtatious look planted on her face. Scrat looked around him to try and find any means of escape, but there was no way out of this unless he wanted to get hurt. Scratte slowly poked her head out of the hole, battering her eyes at Scrat. Scrat froze on the spot, before he began to panic, whimpering once more. But then, Scratte planted a kiss on his cheek. Scrat froze again, before his entire body fell limp and he let go of both ledge and acorn. Scratte took the acorn from him carelessly, giving a little wink as he fell.

Scrat remained dazed as he fell, and only when he was half way down did he look beneath him and realize that he was falling. He let out a strangled scream, but it was already too late. There were animals walking below him, and Scrat ended up landing on the head of the sloth.

"AGH! Get it off! Get it off!" Sid yelled in fright, as he struggled to yank the squirrel off of his head.

Diego just rolled his eyes at the sight, before stepping forwards and using his paw to flick away the squirrel. Scrat let out another strangled scream as he flew through the air, before colliding with the face of the glacier, flopping off of it and into the snow below. Sid and Diego just stared at him.

"You know, I think that little guy has been following us round," Sid noticed.

"Sure he has, Sid," Diego said with a sarcastic tone, before turning away to catch up with the others.

Manny paused as he gazed up at the two glaciers either side of him. This place really brought back memories for him, as well as Sid and Diego.

"Glacier pass," he said. "Been a while since we were last here."

"Has it really been that long?" Sid asked. "Boy, time sure does fly when you're having fun."

He let out a sudden yelp when he tripped over something; Crash and Eddie's tails, to be precise. The two brothers gave each other a high five, before scurrying away to sit on top of Ellie.

"This is where you gave the human baby back to his dad, right?" she asked.

"Yep, right at this very spot," Diego said, coming to a halt in between the two mammoths.

Hidden in his fur, Manny pulled out the necklace he had been given all those years ago. He held it up in the sunlight, allowing the mammoth pendant to hang in front of his face, the beads clanking together as they blew in the wind. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a smaller trunk trying to reach for it. Manny looked down, and smiled at the sight of his daughter, Peaches, trying to take a look at the necklace.

"Daddy, wha' that?" she asked in her young voice.

"It's a memory," Manny answered.

"Can I hold it?" Peaches asked again, her little trunk still stretched out towards it.

Manny's eyes turned to the necklace, then back to his daughter's pleading eyes. He let out a sigh.

"All right, but be careful," he told her, handing her the necklace carefully.

Peaches gently took it from him and held it up into the sunlight, gazing at it in awe.

"Ooh."

Manny watched her happily, just as Ellie came up beside him.

"Do you think we'll see him?" she asked.

Manny looked off into the distance, before letting out a deep breath of air.

"I don't know," he said. "Humans tend to move around a lot, so it's highly unlikely that they're still in the same place."

"Ohh, I was hoping that we could pay him a visit!" Sid whined, stamping his foot like a little kid.

"We wouldn't have been able to do that anyway, Sid," Diego told him, coming up beside the sloth. "The little guy's grown up; I doubt he'd even be able to recognize us."

The small herd continued onwards, unaware of just how wrong both Manny and Diego were.

* * *

How was that? Please, give me some feedback.


	2. Old Memories

OK, so I've uploaded the next chapter because I wanted to introduce Roshan to the story, along with my OC character I've made up. And before you start judging her, she isn't a Mary-Sue. I've put her through tests and everything, and I assure you that she is far from a Sue. Oh, and she's also twelve, like Roshan.

Enjoy!

P.S. 'Anlegg' is Norwegian for 'Gift'.

* * *

Old Memories

_It was them again. The mammoth, the sloth, and the sabre-toothed tiger. They were walking along in the snow, towards a tall peak. There was a snow storm all around them, and the air seemed to be tense. But he couldn't understand why. He was only two, after all. Then as they entered a dark tunnel, the sabre-toothed tiger leapt in the way. It was saying something, and he could only just make out what it was. _

"_Get down, and follow me!" _

* * *

"Roshan, wake up."

The young boy awoke with a start, mumbling stuff about talking animals as he tiredly turned to face the person who had brought him from his slumber.

"What is it, Anlegg?" he asked tiredly, rubbing the back of his head.

"You were having that dream again, weren't you?" the young girl said, her dark brown eyes focusing on his.

"Yes, if you must know," Roshan answered, getting up and stretching his arms out. "I just don't understand it."

"Then just tell your father already!" Anlegg told him. "That's what I would do."

She walked out of the small tent, and Roshan followed her. The two of them had been best friends ever since their two tribes had joined to become one, and as they had both grown older, the two had realized they had something very interesting in common with one another.

"But I'm scared of what he would say," Roshan admitted, as he followed Anlegg over to where the younger ones trained their skills at archery. "If that did actually happen, it happened around the same time my mother died."

"It's still best to just ask him rather than live the rest of your life not knowing," Anlegg told him.

She picked up her bow and arrows and got in a ready position.

"It's not really the dream that I'm worried about, though," Roshan explained.

Anlegg let out a sigh, lowering her bow and arrow.

"Roshan, I'm pretty sure he wouldn't mind having a son who can talk to animals," she told him. "Whatever happened all those years ago, it must have somehow triggered your gift. I mean, I'm not ashamed of it."

"But that's because it's been passed down through your family for generations," Roshan said. "You were supposed to talk to animals no matter what, unlike me."

"That still shouldn't stop you, Roshan," Anlegg said, before lifting her bow and arrows up again and taking aim at the target on the other side of the snowy field.

Roshan watched her, and all was silent. But just as she was about to let an arrow loose...

"Why do you even practice that if you can't kill an animal, anyway?"

The sudden question made Anlegg jump, the arrow flying from her bow and missing the target altogether. Instead, it his a tree behind, scaring a bird out of it's feathers. Literally. Anlegg let out an annoyed sigh, before turning back to Roshan.

"Because one day, this may come in handy," she told him sternly. "Like say, a Smilodon doesn't listen to me talking to it and it attacks; I need some form of defence."

"Anlegg, don't call it that; just call it a sabre-toothed tiger," Roshan corrected her. "And would you still do it, even if you could understand it?"

Anlegg just looked away.

"I didn't say that I was proud of my gift, I just said that I wasn't ashamed of it," she said. "It would definitely make hunting a whole lot easier if you couldn't hear what the animal was saying."

Roshan understood what she was trying to say. When the animal wasn't talking, all a hunter had to do was imagine that his prey was just an object that he could eat. But with the animal actually talking, it made things a lot harder. Especially for Anlegg, who's female instincts stopped her from hunting harmless creatures, anyway.

"Well unlike you, I don't have that problem," Roshan told her. "I'm going on my first hunt with my father today, and I will most certainly come back with the carcass of a mammoth."

He turned and walked away, leaving Anlegg standing alone.

"Just be careful that it isn't the same mammoth from your dreams," she called after him.

Roshan paused for a brief moment, before continuing on back towards his tent. He wasn't going to let past memories ruin the rest of his life.

* * *

The young mammoth stood grazing in the field, using it's feet to brush the snow off the juicy grass. It was completely unaware that it was being watched by many eyes, all with intentions to end it's life.

Roshan and his father waited in the long grass, whilst the rest of the hunters took their positions.

"Here's what we are intending to do, son," his father told him. "Me and the other hunters will charge at it, and the mammoth will run into the canyon in fright. We'll corner it and keep a safe distance, and that's where you come in."

"Me?" Roshan questioned. "Why do I have to do?"

"In a minute, you'll slip away into the canyon and take your position," his father explained. "Then when we have it trapped, you'll jump out and throw your spear at it's throat."

"What?" Roshan hissed. "I thought I was only coming along to help, not actually kill the thing!"

"Roshan, if you want to become a man, then you must do this," his father told him sternly.

Roshan was about to protest further, but decided that it would be best not to.

"Now, go!" his father ordered him, signalling to his son.

Roshan just nodded, before hurrying away towards the canyon. The rest of the hunters continued to stalk the mammoth, before Roshan's father leapt out of the grass to lead the ambush. The other hunters followed, and soon, the mammoth was running for it's life. Just like planned, the creature fled into the canyon, and soon found itself cornered.

The hunters surrounded it at a safe distance, keeping their spears aimed ready to strike. The mammoth reared up, throwing it's tusks around at the men as if the scare them off, but the men refused to back down. Roshan watched the scene from his hiding place, and unknown to the men, was able to hear the mammoth's cries.

"Get back! Don't hurt me! Let me go!"

Pushing the voice to the back of his head, Roshan leapt out of his hiding place and held up his spear, ready to strike. The mammoth turned and froze at the sight, knowing now that his final hour was up.

But then something strange happened.

Roshan suddenly saw another scene in front of him. It was his mammoth, trying to fight off a pack of sabre-toothed tigers. One tried to leap for the throat, but then his sabre leapt in the way, and ended up out cold on the ground. Roshan faltered at the sight. Then suddenly, it all disappeared and he was back in the present.

But Roshan found that he couldn't kill this mammoth. It may not have been his mammoth, but he still couldn't find the strength to kill it. It just didn't feel right. Out of the corner of his eye he saw his father watching, scared that his son wasn't following orders.

"Roshan, now! Before the creature takes advantage of you!" he shouted.

Spear still held up ready, Roshan began to sweat. He didn't know what to do. It was either follow his father's orders, or follow his heart. Roshan looked between his father and the mammoth, unsure on what choice he should make. And the only answer he came up with, was that he couldn't make the choice at all.

The mammoth sensed the fear in the young boy, and immediately took advantage of his hesitation. It reared up on it's hind legs, before charging in Roshan's direction in one final attempt to escape. Roshan yelled in fright, before leaping out of the mammoth's path and letting it go. The mammoth charged away, leaving the men gaping in shock. Roshan looked up, and found dozens of disappointed eyes staring back at him.

But the eyes that looked the most disappointed were the ones which belonged to his father.

* * *

How does the story sound so far? Again, please leave me some feed back.


	3. Attack

Thanks for all the reviews so far!

DP-shrine-in-closet-girl: Glad you liked it! Yes, I will be continuing, hence the update.

DiegoRedeemedLover: Yeah, I hope they do, too! We're all starting to miss him. And I wish that she would update her story, too. It's really good! And it did take me a while to find a perfect name for my character. I couldn't find what 'Gift' meant in Native American, so I went for the next best thing, which was Norwegian. Glad you like this so far!

RemmyBlack: Thanks for the positive feedback! Glad you're enjoying it!

summerrayah: Here's an update for you!

pachysam: Have you read the rest of my Horton Hears A Who stories yet? You seemed to stop during the prequel. Unfortunately, Buck and the dinosaurs will not be included in this story, since it won't really work because the gateway has been destroyed. Nor will they be meeting Frank, Carl or Fast Tony. But they will be meeting the three sabres who escaped in the first movie. I'll try and use some of those other quotes though. They're pretty good. Oh, and it says in chapter 2 that Anlegg can talk with the animals too, so she wouldn't have a problem understanding them. Hope you enjoy the rest of the story!

Melissa: Yeah, I'll check that out when I have the chance. And of course I've seen the third one, but no, Buck won't be in this.

LadyLioness: I always wondered what would happen too, which is why I wrote this. And I created Anlegg because I felt there needed to be more female characters. There's only Peaches and Ellie. Glad you like the story!

Ifbookswerefood-i'dbefat : Thanks for the review! I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Enjoy this next chapter!

* * *

Attack

Anlegg was the first one to meet Roshan when he arrived back at the village.

"Roshan, how'd it go?" she asked him. "Still able to kill it while it was talking?"

She had only meant this as a joke, but when Roshan shot her a glare, she realized that the hunt hadn't been successful.

"Oh," she said. "I'm sorry, but I did..."

"Tell me so? I know," Roshan finished for her. "Not only did the whole talking business put me off, but I also kept getting flash backs of the mammoth from my dreams."

"Hey, it's not that bad," Anlegg told him, resting a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

But Roshan just pushed it away.

"Not that bad? Father doesn't want to talk to me, the other men are avoiding me altogether, and now the village is gonna go hungry because of me!" he snapped. "Why does this have to happen to me? Why can't these animals just leave me alone!"

He slumped down on a rock, resting his head in his hands and letting out an annoyed sigh.

"Now I'll never be a real man," he said.

Anlegg also let out a deep sigh, but it wasn't an annoyed one like Roshan's. She sat down on the rock next to him, trying to be the good friend that she was. They were the only two in the village who had the gift to communicate with animals, whether they liked it or not, and Anlegg knew that they had to stick together.

"Of course you'll be one," she said. "You don't become a man by hunting the biggest mammoth. You become it by showing your true bravery and courage."

"You know what, I know that," Roshan said. "I got that lecture from my dad a few days ago."

"And he's right," Anlegg said. "And speaking of your dad, I think now is a good time to tell him about what's been troubling you."

Roshan looked up to her, and realized that she was right. After what had happened on the hunt, he needed to tell his father what's really going on, and why he couldn't kill the mammoth. It was a hard thing to do, but Roshan knew that his father would be finding out sooner or later. And best to tell him sooner rather than him find out later.

"OK, I will," he decided, standing up and heading over to where his father's tent sat close to his own.

Anlegg watched him go, and when he had disappeared inside, she crept a bit closer in order to listen. Once inside, Roshan found his father sitting on his sleeping blankets, head in hands. Roshan let out a deep sigh to let his father know that he was there.

"Father, I'm sorry about what happened today, but I can explain..."

"Explain what, Roshan?" his father interrupted. "How you humiliated me? I talked about how you would make a fine hunter to all the other men, but then you do that, and embarrass me in front of them all."

"Dad, you don't know what I'm going through..."

"I do, son," he continued. "You're going through a phase in your life where you're unsure of your place in the world. Well, I'll tell you this know, that your place is here, with humans. And like most humans, you need to be able to hunt successfully."

"Dad, can you please let me explain what actually happened," Roshan pleaded. "In fact, can you please let me explain what's been happening to me."

His father let out a sigh, before he nodded his head.

"But first, I wanna ask you something," the young boy began. "Did something happen to me around the time my mother died?"

From the moment the words left his mouth, Roshan's father immediately became distant, his head turning to look off into the distance of the snow outside. Roshan realized that there was something his father had not told him, and he had a hunch that it was something to do with the dreams he had been having ever since he could remember.

"I am not sure, exactly," his father began, the distant look still on his face, "but I can only tell you this much. We were once a smaller village, mainly made up of men, but there was also your mother and you. We were going to be heading north to this settlement, but we were attacked by a pack of sabres the morning before. One took after your mother and you, and she somehow died when you survived. I thought the sabres had killed the two of you, so when we reached glacier pass, I gave up hope."

"And let me guess, some animals found me and gave me back?" Roshan said.

His father looked surprised.

"How could you know that?" he asked in disbelief.

"Because ever since that happened, I've been having dreams about them," Roshan explained. "I keep getting flash backs ever now and again; I had one today during the hunt, which was why I couldn't kill that mammoth. It reminded me of the mammoth who gave me back to you, and it just didn't feel right."

"I understand," his father said. "I gave the mammoth your mother's necklace, in case I ever crossed paths with him again. So then I would know not to kill him by accident."

There was a slight pause, where both father and son enjoyed the sensation of finally getting that weight off their chests. But Roshan still wasn't finished.

"But Dad, I think the experience did something to me," he explained. "Because somehow, I can understand what other animals are saying."

His father looked back at him, even more shocked than before.

"You...you can?" he asked.

Roshan nodded.

"Which is also why I can't hunt, Father," he continued. "Like Anlegg, I can't find the strength to kill something when I can hear it speaking."

But his father said nothing. He just looked away again, not sure how to take the news. His son knowing about what happened when he was younger was one thing, but this? He'd never be able to become a proper man if he was unable to hunt.

"Leave."

"Huh? What are you..."

"I said leave, Roshan," his father repeated more firmly.

He turned his back on his son and said not another word. Roshan stayed a little longer, until he finally realized that his father wasn't going to talk to him any time soon. So he walked out of the tent, and Anlegg soon caught up with him.

"So, how did it go?" she asked.

"You see, that's why I didn't wanna tell him!" Roshan snapped, spinning round to face her.

"What do you mean?" she asked. "He got angry because of what happened to you?"

"No, he completely understood that," Roshan said. "But the moment I told him that I could talk to animals, he told me to leave and turned his back on me. I knew he wouldn't be able to cope, but no, _you _just had to talk me into telling him!"

Anlegg blinked in confusion, before realizing that it probably was partially her fault. Roshan's father had been through a lot, and the last thing he needed was a son who couldn't hunt because he could talk to animals. Roshan took in deep breaths, before he turned his back on Anlegg and stormed away.

* * *

Scrat scurried across the snow-covered fields, following the tracks that had been left by the female squirrel; Scratte. He wanted his nut back, and this time, it was personal. He eventually came across her scent, and found her footprints in the snow; both led him to a tree which had collapsed, and Scrat noticed a hole leading into it.

But to his utter surprise, Scratte came out willingly, and guilty look on her face. Scrat froze where he stood, expecting some sort of trick from her; but no such trick came. Scratte just slowly stepped towards him, before placing the nut down in front of her as a peace offering. This confused Scrat completely, until Scratte stepped forwards even closer and took his hand in hers.

Then, very gently, she placed it on her stomach.

And Scrat felt a kick.

At first he thought that it was because she was just hungry, until he remembered what had happened the last time he had seen her. His eyes went wide in realization, before his eyes rolled and he fainted.

* * *

It was early morning at the human village, and all were asleep in their tents, getting some well-deserved rest. Neither of them – not even Roshan or Anlegg – were aware of what was about to happen.

Up on a hill above the village, three sabres waited for their chance to attack.

"Ooh hoo hoo hoo hoo hoo! I can't wait to sink my teeth into that little brat!" one – who went by the name of Zeke – said.

"Not yet, though," the second said, who was called Oscar. "We need to get him away from the village first before we do anything to him. There's too many humans here."

"But then how will we get him away?" the third one asked, who was named Lenny.

"That will be my job," Oscar said. "You two and the rest need to keep the rest of the humans busy."

"It will be our pleasure," Zeke said, before he and Lenny ventured out into the open and towards the village.

They were soon joined by dozens of other sabres, all with orders to kill and human who gets in the way of their mission. Their mission: find the human boy, and kill him once lured away. They crept even closer, but by accident, Zeke kicked a small stone which created the smallest sound. It was enough to wake the dogs in the village, and once they had smelt the intruders, they began to bark. This caused the sabres to quicken their pace to a run.

Roshan's father awoke at the sound of the dogs barking. He grabbed his spear and looked out, only to find the other men hurrying towards the attacking sabres, prepared to fight. Roshan's father joined them, and found himself fighting off a sabre which looked strangely familiar. Anlegg awoke too, but once she saw the fight outside, she decided to grab her back-pack and bow and arrows, and crept out the back of her tent and made her way towards Roshan's. Once there, she found his with a spear ready to fight.

"Roshan! No!" she told him. "We have to get outta here!"

"Why?" Roshan questioned, still bitter about their argument the previous day. "I can't just leave the village to fight them off alone!"

"Uh, FYI: these sabres could be the bad ones from your dreams!" Anlegg told him. "It's kind of an odd coincidence that sabres attack again without reason, so they could be after you."

"And what makes you say that?" Roshan asked.

Suddenly, Oscar showed up in the doorway, bearing his teeth at Roshan.

"I've found him!" he called out to the others.

This was enough to tell both Roshan and Anlegg that these _were_ the same sabres from last time. Acting fast, Anlegg placed an arrow in her bow, before firing it at the sabre. It skidded past him, and was successful in hitting his shoulder and leaving behind a scratch. Oscar held up his paw towards the injury, which gave Roshan and Anlegg a chance to escape out the back of the tent.

"But why would they want me now?" Roshan questioned.

"Revenge, probably," Anlegg guessed. "If what you saw in your dreams was true, then they would want to be finishing off the job."

"You make a good point, but what about Father?" Roshan asked.

"If he was able to fight them off last time, then he would be able to this time," Anlegg told him. "The village is a lot bigger than it used to be, so there would be more help than before."

"But there's more of them, too!" Roshan pointed out, pointing back at the village behind them.

Both came to a halt and looked round, and Anlegg saw that Roshan was right. He had said that there were only about four or five last time, but now, there were many.

"We should still make a run for it while we can," Anlegg told him, pulling on her friend's arm.

But Roshan wasn't listening. He was watching his father fight the same sabre which had attacked them in the tent, and he kept on looking over to where Roshan was standing.

"Run, Roshan!" he shouted. "RUN!"

But by shouting this, he dropped his guard, and the sabre fighting him leapt at his throat. Roshan tore his eyes away, but he didn't need to look back in order to know that he was now a fatherless boy.

* * *

Uh oh! Poor Roshan! Please review, and please tell me if I got the names of the three sabres mixed up. It's been a while since I watched the first film, and it was all I could remember off the tip of my head.


	4. All Grown Up

DiegoRedeemedLover: Yes, I was going for that, since it would connect Roshan with Manny. And by leave, I meant the tent, not the village. His father isn't THAT cruel! Oh, and I didn't know they gave the parents names. Oh well, bit late now to include them, since both are dead. And I didn't actually know about the meanings, so thanks for telling me! Oh, and Sid did have a girl in the first movie if you watch the deleted scenes, but they cut her out. And don't worry, I LOVE longer reviews! Cool double review, by the way!

RemmyBlack: Yeah, wonder how Scrat will react to mini Scrats fighting over his acorn?

Ifbookswerefood-i'dbefat: Yeah, I thought I got them right, but I just wanted to make sure, though. It's hard to memorize the names when you haven't seen the first film for nearly a year.

pachysam: Yep, that's what they'll be doing. Especially Manny, since he was quite close to Roshan before. And I thought I got the names right, but I just wanted to make sure.

Anthony: Yeah, I don't think Zeke would have been stuck there for the rest of his life. The other two MUST have helped him out. And both Roshan and Anlegg are about twelve in this story (if you want to know how this was worked out, read If Tomorrow Should Never Come). Thanks for the positive feedback!

Playing Hooky: Don't worry, she won't be showing any marysueish symptoms at all! I'm taking my time writing this story so everyone stays in character, and Anlegg doesn't turn into a Mary-Sue. And I'm not really one of those authors, unless there's no other way to describe it; I mean, FYI has been used in one of the films (Sid: FYI, you two may be the last mammoths left on Earth). And I thought that 'fatherless boy' would sound different to 'orphan'. Anyone can say 'orphan', and I like to be different. But anyway, glad I didn't disappoint!

PuccaFanGirl: Sratte was just doing that to get rid of him. And remember that she has the acorn, so she wouldn't be too mad. Glad you're loving it so far!

Enjoy the next chapter!

* * *

All Grown Up

It was noon, and the herd had settled down in a clearing in the woods; Manny was building a shelter for all of them, Ellie and the possums were collecting berries for lunch, and Diego had gone looking for some lunch of his own. Sid was left in charge of Peaches – or as Manny put it, Peaches was left in charge of Sid.

"Watch and learn, Peaches," Sid told the little mammoth, before picking up a handful of snow and squishing it into a ball.

When it was the right size and shape, he took aim, and fired it directly at Manny. The snowball hit the larger mammoth right behind his ear, and when he spun round, Sid turned to Peaches with a stern expression on his face.

"Now, Peaches, you shouldn't throw snowballs at people," he said, shaking a finger at her. "It's not very nice."

Peaches, of course, was still only very young, so didn't really catch on to the trick Sid was trying to play.

"But if it isn't very nice, then why did you throw it?" she asked, not noticing Sid signalling for her to be quiet.

He laughed weakly, turning back to Manny. But he suddenly let out a strangled scream, right before a large snowball fell on top of his head, completely covering him. Peaches let out a cry of happiness, and Manny smiled at his daughter.

* * *

Meanwhile, not very far away, Diego was walking back from another successful hunt, after having eaten his fill of meat. He kept on padding along normally, until his ears perked upwards at the sound of a twig snapping. He paused and turned his head in the direction of the sound, but he could see nothing. So shrugging, Diego carried on walking back to the clearing. But he paused once more when another twig snapped, and he immediately spun round to face the direction of the noise.

He watched the trees carefully, until a rustle in the bushes caught his attention. Whatever it was, it didn't seem to be following him, so Diego got into a crouching position and began to creep up on the mysterious creature. Then when he was close enough, Diego pounced, letting out a roar at the same time. He flew through the bushes and collided with the creature, rolling a short distance before coming to a halt, the thing underneath him. He held up a paw to strike, but stopped short when he realized what it was.

It was a human, and by the length of it's hair, Diego guessed that it was a female. The human was looking Diego dead in the eyes, breathing deeply, and he noticed that she looked pretty young. About twelve human years, at the most.

"Anlegg!"

Diego looked up, just as another human came bursting through the bushes, looking to be about the same age as the female. This one was male, and when he noticed Diego, he immediately held up his spear. But something stopped him from throwing it.

Roshan didn't know what it was, but something inside him told him that this sabre wasn't going to hurt either of them. He seemed strangely familiar, and not in the same way those other sabres did; it didn't take Roshan very long to figure out why, and he gently lowered his spear.

Diego seemed to recognize this human too, and when the boy lowered his spear, the sabre stepped off of Anlegg and allowed her to stand up. She did this slowly, and backed away until she came to stand beside Roshan. Neither of their eyes ever left the cat once.

It was Roshan who spoke first.

"Do I...do I know you?" he asked nervously.

Diego jumped back in surprise. Humans weren't supposed to speak, and he didn't understand why this one could.

"You...you can talk?" he questioned.

"Diego!"

Both humans and sabre turned, and saw Manny, Ellie, Crash, Eddie, Sid and Peaches hurrying through the trees. When he caught sight of the humans, Manny skidded to a halt. Unfortunately, this caused Ellie to crash into him, followed by Crash and Eddie colliding into her behind; and last but not least, Sid bumped into the back of all of them, crushing the two possums in between him and Ellie. Peaches was able to stop in time, and just laughed at them all.

When Roshan laid eyes on the mammoth in front, he knew immediately who it was. It was his mammoth. The one he had seen in his dreams every night; the one he had encountered all those years ago. He was standing right there in front of him, and all Roshan could do was stare.

Manny also seemed to pick up on the familiarity of this human, so slowly stepped forwards for a closer look. Reaching out his trunk, Manny began to sniff him; Roshan remained still as he did, but closed his eyes when the mammoth's trunk reached his face. Anlegg kept herself hidden behind Roshan, her eyes wide with awe, looking between her friend and the mammoth. And after Manny had finished sniffing, he brought his trunk back with a shocked expression on his face.

"It's him," he said, and Ellie came up beside him with wide eyes. "The human baby we once knew."

From behind Ellie, Peached and the two possums poked their heads out, and gazed at the two humans in awe. From behind Manny, Sid poked his head out too, and his face became brighter when he realized who Manny was talking about.

"Pinky, it's you!" he yelled in delight, before hurrying forwards and picking the boy up, spinning him round in circles.

"WHOA!" Roshan cried out in shock.

Anlegg just laughed at him.

"Boy, you've gotten heavier!" Sid commented, placing Roshan back down and resting a hand onto his back, panting.

"Oh, and for the record, my name's Roshan," he said.

The herd looked at him in shock.

"You can understand us?" Manny asked.

"Yeah, it's kind of a result from what happened last time," Roshan explained, before gesturing to Anlegg. "She can understand animals too, but hers is a gift which has been in her family for generations."

"And she is...?" Manny asked again, looking at the young girl.

"Oh, right," Roshan said. "Guys, meet Anlegg."

"So this is the herd you've told me about?" Anlegg said. "A lot bigger than I imagined."

"That's because we've added more members since we last saw him," Manny told her, before pointing at Ellie. "This is my wife, Ellie."

"Hi there!" she said, waving her trunk at them.

"And this is our daughter, Peaches," Manny continued, using his trunk to bring her forwards.

Peaches just smiled at the two humans.

"Aw, she's so cute!" Anlegg said, kneeling down so that she was eye level with the baby mammoth.

"And these are my brothers, Crash and Eddie," Ellie said, introducing the possums.

"We're the pranksters of the group!" Crash said, as he and Eddie gave each other a high five.

"Brothers?" Roshan questioned. "But they're possums?"

"Long story," Ellie just said.

Anlegg raised an eyebrow, whilst Roshan turned back to Manny.

"I was pretty young when I last saw you guys, so I can't really remember your names at all," he said, referring to him, Sid and Diego – who had come to stand beside Manny.

"That's OK. I'm Manfred; but you can just call me Manny," Manny said, before pointing at Sid. "This floppy green thing is Sid."

"But you can just call me...Sid," Sid said, copying Manny.

Manny just rolled his eyes.

"And this is Diego," he finished, pointing at the big cat.

"I'm sorry I pounced on you," Diego apologized to Anlegg.

"It's OK," Anlegg told him. "Not the first time that's happened to me, and it certainly won't be the last."

"OK, now that we're all introduced, can you two tell us why you're both out here alone?" Manny asked. "Even now, you look a little too young to be out here by yourselves."

Roshan's face fell, before he looked down at the ground, upset.

"It's a long story," he mumbled, and he moved away to stand on his own.

Anlegg watched him sadly, before turning back to the others.

"Our village was attacked by Smilodons," she explained. "We...we were the only ones who got away."

"Oh," Manny said, his face softening up. "I'm sorry."

"What are Smilodons?" Sid asked, frowning in confusion.

"Sabres," Anlegg told him. "I just prefer to use their technical name."

While this was being said, Manny looked over to where Roshan stood hugging himself, gazing down at the ground in mourning. Manny knew what it was like to lose a family member (or two, in his case), so knew that he should probably try and comfort the young boy.

"I'll try talking to him," he said, before moving away towards Roshan.

Ellie watched him go, before turning back to Anlegg.

"Did you lose your family in the attack, too?" she asked.

Anlegg shook her head.

"No, my parents died long before this, when I was very young," she explained. "I can barely remember them."

Ellie stepped forwards and rested her trunk on the girl's shoulder.

"It's OK," she said. "I can barely remember mine, either."

Anlegg smiled.

Meanwhile, Manny had come to stand alongside Roshan, who was still hugging himself in sadness.

"I know what it's like, losing someone you love," he said.

Roshan let out a deep sigh.

"It's not that," he said. "Well, it it, but...Father and I had an argument right before it happened. And, we never got a chance to patch things up. I just wish my last memory of him wasn't him telling me to leave his tent."

"The past can't be changed," Manny explained, resting his trunk on the boy's shoulder. "But the future is a different matter altogether. And you can't spend it reaching out for those who aren't there with you."

Roshan knew that Manny was right. If he was going to live the rest of his life in misery, then there wasn't any use in living at all. And Roshan wanted to live. It wasn't like he was completely alone, though; he still had Anlegg, and he was also happy to have found the unusual herd from his dreams.

"You're right," he said, looking up at the mammoth. "And if it's all right with you, could me and Anlegg possibly stay with you guys for now?"

Manny smiled down at him.

"Of course, you're both welcome to stay with us any time you want," he said. "Just a word of advise, though; keep away from Sid first thing in the morning. His morning breath isn't something either of you would want to become acquainted with."

Roshan let out a small laugh, before following Manny back towards the others.

* * *

Please review!


	5. The Sabre's Plot

goldenpuon: Glad you liked it! Yeah, it took me a couple of goes to get the meeting right, so I'm glad it worked out OK.

Geekgirl: Glad you liked it!

LadyLioness: Yes, they will be having a run in with Diego's old pack. I didn't just bring them in for that one chapter! They're the bad guys in this!

Ifbookswerefood-i'dbefat: Took me a while to write the chapter, but I finally got it right!

DiegoRedeemedLover: I agree, I think Diego and Peaches share some sort of bond, although I will be focussing on his relationship with the humans. And I seriously didn't think about the guilt thing! I'll have to include that! And once more, I don't mind long, rambling reviews; I prefer them to short ones!

pachysam: Don't worry, Possum pranks coming soon! And I agree with you on mammoths being the nicest. So sweet! And I know I've asked this before, but did you finish my Horton Hears A Who stories? You seemed to stop reviewing during the prequel.

RemmyBlack: I only include the moments when I think of them. The last chapter was long enough anyway, which is why I didn't include one. There also won't be one in this chapter, but I'm planning on having one in the next one!

Rose: Here's an update for you!

Paolokid12: I'll try reading it, if I ever get time. I'm a college student you see, and I have a lot of coursework at the moment, so I only really have time to write my own stories. But I'll try and take a look at it, when I get the chance. But sadly, I won't be including Buck or the dino children in this story. And if they do use this for a fourth movie, then I'll be happy!

Enjoy this next chapter!

P.S. The name Hohots means 'like a bear' in Native American.

* * *

The Sabre's Plot

Half Peak still stood tall and strong, and despite the events that had happened around it years before, it was still being used as a stronghold for the sabre-toothed cats. After the death of their leader Soto, Oscar, Lenny and Zeke were able to gather a force of rogue males, and create a pack with only one goal in mind: find and kill the human baby.

Oscar took command, naturally, and the other two were up in the higher ranks alongside him (despite their lack of brain cells). And besides those three was another male, who Oscar had made his second in command. His name was Hohots, and he was one of the biggest sabres around. Bigger than Lenny, even, although his body was all muscle instead of fat.

After their unsuccessful attempt to get a hold of Roshan, the pack gathered in Half Peak; most went back to their usual activities of chewing bones and fighting over scraps, whilst the top four met in a cave high above the others. Like the mystery he was, Hohots laid himself down in the shadows at the back of the cave, whilst the other three stayed in the light shinning through the cave mouth.

"So you're telling me, that none of you saw where he went?" Oscar asked the other two.

"We were busy distracting the other humans!" Lenny pointed out.

"And I was busy getting jumped on by their mutts," Zeke said, rubbing a scratch he had gained during the fight.

"I thought _you_ would have seen where he went, since _you_ were the one in his tent?" the deep voice of Hohots questioned.

"I would have, but the female that was with him hit me on the shoulder with one of those flying spears," Oscar explained, motioning his head to his shoulder, where a small scar was visible. "Then after that I was fighting his father. Good thing I finished him off. Now he won't be able to inter-fear with our plans like the mother did last time."

"Or like that mammoth and sloth did!" Zeke agreed, getting angry. "Or like Diego! I swear, if I ever get my paws on that buck-toothed..."

"Enough," Oscar told him. "You'll have your chance for revenge, just as soon as the human is finished off first."

"You said that there was a female with him," Hohots said flatly.

"Yes, and by the looks of things, she escaped with him," Oscar told him. "Why?"

"She could be of some use to us," Hohots explained. "Females are a lot weaker than males, so we should be able to get a hold of her easier than the boy; we kidnap her, and keep her alive. Then, the little boy will come running to her rescue, and when he does, we can finish off both of them."

"That's genius!" Zeke exclaimed. "You know, on first glance, anyone would think you're related to Soto instead of-"

"You will not speak of that," Hohots interrupted. "That, is something I would rather forget."

* * *

Yes, a lot of unanswered questions at the end of this chapter! Sorry it was short, and the next chapter should hopefully be a lot more positive, and a lot longer. Please review!


	6. A World of Fun

Well, I've finally gotten this chapter written up! Took me a while to write; I had a whole list of things that I needed to include in this chapter, and I think I got them all in. Oh, and I need a bit of help. The herd will be telling some camp fire stories in the next chapter, and I need a good story for Roshan and Anlegg to tell. Does anyone have any ideas?

DiegoRedeemedLover: Fillers are essential for moving the story along, but hardly anyone seems to get that. And it's annoying when they don't get it. And it's been, what, ten years since Roshan was a baby, so I imagine that they were able to gather that amount of rogues in that amount of time. And it said in Zeke's last line that Hohots isn't related to Soto, but to someone else. Can you guess who that someone is? And I can try and work on Diego and Manny's friendship, since both will be having close friendships with the humans. Hope you enjoy this one!

Ifbookswerefood-i'dbefat: Yes, I know that it was way, way, way too short, but it was only supposed to be a filler chapter. This chapter is longer, though!

tatianna: That's a good idea, but I don't think people are allowed to do that. This is only fanfiction, after all. I could hope that someone from the studios stumbles across it, but that's very far fetched.

RemmyBlack: Glad you liked it!

LadyLioness: You are correct, my friend! But _how_ they are related is the question.

goldenpuon: Yeah, it's pretty much revenge for Soto's death. I think it was mentioned somewhere that they will eventually go after Diego, but they just wanted to get Roshan out of the way first.

pachysam: Glad you liked it! And you're about to find out!

Professor Darwin: I might use some of those, but it'll all depend really on how each scene turns out. But I'll keep those lines in mind.

Paolokid12: Here's a link to a website which could help with your name problem.

h t t p : / / baby names world. parents connect. com / native-american-names. html

Just take out the spaces.

* * *

A World Of Fun

The morning light gently began to rise up in the sky, shining through the trees of the forest and reflecting upon the white, glistening snow on the ground. In this snow, tiny footprints were visible; each were deep, as if their owner had been carrying something heavy. Sometimes, looks can be deceiving, but in this case, this statement was true to it's words.

Scrat was having a tough time. After finding out that Scratte was pregnant, he had been forced to rush around collecting everything needed in order to help her give birth; twigs to start a fire, a bowl for some water, water to put in it, and food for when the baby is born. Each of these items were piled up in Scrat's hands, and he was finding it hard to carry it all back to the den. A couple of times it would wobble, and Scrat would have to try his best to keep it all balanced. It would have been nice for Scratte to help, but she had made the excuse that 'she was with child'.

After a long struggle, Scrat finally made it back to the den; an old tree with a hole in it, enabling the squirrels to settle inside. It was from this hole that Scratte appeared, once she had heard the puffing and panting of Scrat returning. Scrat finally placed all the stuff down, before leaning on the tree and taking in gasps of air. He looked up to Scratte and down again, but his eyes went wide and he had to do a double take.

The hole where Scratte had settled was very high up. And he had to carry all that stuff up there. He let out a sigh of despare.

* * *

Not very far away, the morning sun was settling upon the herd's den which Manny had finished the previous day. Everyone was asleep inside it, including the two humans; Roshan and Anlegg.

Like usual, Peaches was sleeping wrapped up in Ellie's trunk, who also had Crash and Eddie hanging upside down off each of her tusks. Next to her, Manny slept with Roshan curled up in his trunk; they boy had still been in mourning over his father's death, and Manny had only thought it fair to comfort him. A few meters away, Sid slept awkwardly, leaning over an upright stick in the ground, which was in the shape of a 'Y'. He would let out a snore every now and again, before turning over with a slight moan.

It was one of these moans which woke Diego up. The sabre's eyes opened, before he rose his head up to look at Sid. Heaving out an annoyed sigh, he stretched out his front paws and let out a tired yawn. It was only after this did he realize that Anlegg was leaning on him.

The young girl had fallen asleep pretty close to him the previous night, and when it had grown colder, she had edged closer to him in her sleep. Diego had barely noticed. His ears now quirked upwards in surprise, and his eyes went wide in shock. He was a sabre, and sabres weren't used to their lunch snuggling close to them in order to keep warm. Sure, he used to do it when he was a cub; back when his family were still around...

Diego shook his head. He knew that _one_ family member was still alive, but he didn't want to have anything more to do with that particular sabre. Turning his attention back to Anlegg, he very slowly and very carefully began to stand up, placing a paw under her head to stop it from falling on the ground. He stood up, and gently laid her head down on the ground. He then quietly crept away, letting out a relieved sigh.

At that moment, Sid let out a snort, causing Diego to jump about five feet in the air in surprise. The sloth gave a yawn, before his eyes flickered open and focussed on Diego.

"Where're you going this early?" he asked.

"To get some breakfast," Diego told him. "It should be grazing in the meadow by now."

Sid let out a shudder. That was _so_ not what he wanted to hear _at all_ first thing in the morning.

"Well, make sure Peaches doesn't wander over and see you," Sid mentioned. "Otherwise- AGGH!"

Careless as he was, Sid accidentally leant his arm on top of the pointy end of the stick he had been sleeping on. Letting out a cry of pain, he shot into the air, and ended up falling on top of Manny's head. The mammoth's eyes shot open, before they went cross-eyed and focussed on Sid.

"Why does this always happen to me?" Sid croaked out.

"I was sorta thinking the same thing," Manny commented, before using his trunk to peel Sid off, throwing him to the ground.

At the disturbance, the rest of the sleepers woke up with yawns and tired moans.

"Hey, what's all the ruckus?" Eddie asked, he and Crash dropping down from Ellie's tusks.

"Oh, it's just Sid being Sid," Manny answered, before turning to look at Roshan. "You OK?"

"Yeah, I guess," Roshan said, standing up and bending his back until it gave a satisfying crack. "More or less, anyway."

"Same here," Anlegg agreed, also stretching her body. "Although, I thought it was pretty cold last night."

"Sorry, I forgot to light the fire last night- OW! OW!"

Sid was interrupted by Crash and Eddie leaping on then jumping off his head, before they ran away laughing. Angry by their antics, Sid chased after them, but this only resulted in him tripping over their tails, and once they were sitting on top of him, he was used as a sleigh. Roshan and Anlegg watched in amusement as Sid slid down one snow hill after the other, whilst Manny just rolled his eyes at the scene.

"Diego, can you postpone your hunt whilst me and Ellie go find some breakfast for Peaches?" he asked the sabre.

"Yeah, sure, Manny," Diego said, watching the two mammoths disappear into the trees.

When he turned back again, Sid had finally climbed to his feet, but what was amusing was that his cheeks were big with snow. He opened his mouth, and it all came tumbling out.

* * *

Later on, Sid, the possums and the humans were having a snowball fight, with Diego lying on a rock watching Peaches nearby. The young mammoth was trying to make a snowball using her two front feet, but was failing miserably. From where she was throwing snowballs at Sid, Anlegg noticed her struggling, so hurried over to help.

"Here, let me help," she said, taking Peaches' trunk in her hand and showing her how to make a snowball.

Peaches watched in delight, and when Anlegg was finished, she held it in her trunk and stared at it in awe.

"Now, you just need someone to throw it at," Anlegg told her.

Her eyes spied Diego, who had turned away and was now watching the snowball fight. Anlegg's face widened into a cheeky smile, before she made a snowball herself.

"Watch and learn," she whispered to the young mammoth.

Diego hadn't expected a snowball to hit him right in the face.

"Hey!" he cried, standing up on the rock.

He found Peaches laughing at him.

"Again! Again!" she cried, before remembering the snowball in her trunk, and throwing it at him.

Diego ducked just in time, and looked behind him to watch the snowball fall into the trees.

"Ha ha!"

He didn't expect _another_ snowball to hit him right in the face again. Peaches let out a cry of delight, and Anlegg just looked away, smirking. A playful grin appeared on Diego's face, before he leapt off from the rock in Anlegg's direction. Anlegg barely had a moment to react, before Diego landed on top of her and sent both rolling towards the others. Roshan, Sid, Crash and Eddie were too caught up in their snowball fight to notice the even bigger snowball rolling towards them, and it wasn't long before the four of them were rolling along inside it as well, before they all crashed into a huge pile of snow.

"Again! Again!" Peaches cried, clapping her two front feet together as she watched from a distance.

Diego picked himself up and shook all the snow off his fur, whilst Sid and the possums brushed the snow off instead. Roshan and Anlegg helped themselves up too – giggling like idiots – but as they did, their noses touched.

"Oh...sorry," Roshan apologized.

"That's OK," Anlegg hurriedly said.

Both weakly laughed, before they helped each other to their feet. Their eyes met, and for a moment, all one could see was the other. Nothing else. Just the two of them.

"We should..." Roshan began, pointing to where the others had gone on back to where Peaches was sitting.

"Yeah," Anlegg agreed.

Both smiled, before they turned and followed the others back the way they came.

* * *

I hope everyone enjoyed that. I know not much has happened to move the story along, but I guess that bit at the end counts, right? Please review! Oh, and if any of you want to do some fanart based on my story, don't hesitate to ask.


	7. Campfire Stories

thelonemongrel: Glad you like it! That's the reason why each chapter takes so long to write; I really want to keep the characters spot on, and it takes time to write them 'spot on'. Here's the next chapter for you!

DiegoRedeemedLover: Well, I didn't know my writing was _that_ good! Nor did I realize the possibility of Diego and Soto actually being related. But yeah, Diego and Hohots will be against each other, for reasons that will be revealed later in the story. I'm glad you liked all those bits in the previous chapter, and I hope you like this chapter just as much!

Paolokid12: Hey, that idea does sound good, but you might want to run your character through this Mary-Sue test first:

h t t p : / / w w w . springhole . net / quizzes / marysue . htm

'Cause you can get male Mary-Sues too, and to me, your character sounded like he was showing some Sue symptoms. Don't worry, I'm not attacking your character, but others will. So just run him through this test and make the changes you need to make. And I meant stories as in old legends and stuff like that.

pachysam: I particularly like the first set of lines, but Anlegg will already know about Diego attacking Roshan's village. I also like the Lord of the Flame quotes. Hope you enjoy this chapter!

Xion69: Yeah, I've made Roshan and Anlegg talk, because otherwise, they wouldn't be able to communicate with the herd, and that wouldn't be a very exciting story if they couldn't.

goldenpuon: Don't worry, the relationship between her and Diego is just going to be STRICTLY friendship! Nothing more! Like it said in the summery, she'll be having a romance with Roshan, naturally (if that little scene at the end of the chapter wasn't clear to you).

Callum: Glad you liked it! Here's the next chapter for you!

lukerocks: Don't worry, the herd will be having an encounter with the sabre pack, but just not in this chapter. Maybe in the next one. And readers are supposed to suspect the connection, but just not how they're connected (they could be uncle/nephew, cousins or brothers). But anyway, here's an update for you!

FireChildSlytherin5: Yeah, it's a shame that there isn't more. If you want to read another good one, read one called If Tomorrow Should Never Come.

Maui Girl 808: But how are they related, is the question, eh? More Roshan and Anlegg moments to come!

**Oh, and a note to all of you: I have a new forum up, titled 'Pinky'. Please go check it out? Please? **

* * *

Campfire Stories

"So that's how I came to bear the title 'Lord of the Flame'," Sid finished.

It was evening, and the herd and the two humans were sitting around a campfire Sid had built earlier on. Roshan had been curious to know how Sid was able to create fire, which had started him off on the long, confusing (and exaggerated) tale about how he discovered fire, and about his encounter with the mini sloths.

"So these mini sloths worshipped you?" Roshan questioned.

"Yep, they worshipped, loved, and respected me!" Sid answered him, wiping his long nails on his fur and then inspecting them.

"Right before they tried to sacrifice him by throwing him into a burning lava pit," Manny added.

Both Roshan and Anlegg raised their eyebrows, turning back to Sid with amused expressions.

"Well...they did it because they mistook the destruction of their statue for a bad ju-ju," he tried to explain.

"But didn't that happen after they threw you into it?" Diego questioned.

But instead of answering, Sid just ignored him and turned back to the two humans.

"Hey, why don't one of you tell a story?" he suggested. "I'll bet that you both have stories to tell which we haven't heard of before, eh?"

"Sounds great, but one question before we do," Anlegg said. "In order to be Lord of the Flame, does a section of your body have to be on fire?"

"Why ask that?" Sid questioned.

"Because a section of your body _is_ on fire."

She pointed at Sid's tail, which he had accidentally allowed too close to the fire; and once he noticed it, he began to run around in circles, yelling at the top of his lungs. Peaches just giggled at the scene, while Crash and Eddie grabbed hold of a leaf full of water.

"Emergency! Emergency services coming through!" they shouted. "We've got a leaf full of water, and we're not afraid to use it!"

They threw the water at Sid's behind, which also got Diego wet, too. He leapt from his seat up on a rock, before shaking the water from him.

"Hey! Watch it!" he snapped.

"Are things always this crazy?" Anlegg asked Manny.

"Wait until you see what it's like around the holidays," Manny commented.

Sid fell backwards onto the snow, relieving his tail of the heat from the recently extinguished fire.

"So, where were we?" he asked.

"It was story time," Ellie reminded him. "Either Roshan or Anlegg were going to tell us a story."

"Roshan, why don't you tell them the story of Ludek and the red girl?" Anlegg suggested. "That one's my favourite, and you tell it really well."

Roshan looked hesitant, rubbing the back of his head.

"Well, I don't know..."

"Oh, come on! You can tell us!" Sid encouraged him.

"Yeah! Story! Story!" Crash and Eddie chanted over and over.

This went on for a few moments more, before Roshan finally gave in.

"All right! All right! I'll tell it!" he said.

Everyone began to get comfortable as Roshan prepared to tell his story.

"Let's see," he began. "It took place after the beginning, when the wolf gods Zoran and Zorana created light out of the darkness, and made the place we live in today, along with it's creatures. It was the she-wolf god, Zorana, who created man. And one particularly favourite of hers was a girl with flaming red hair, who she named Libena."

"Ooooh," Sid exclaimed, only to be shushed by Diego.

"And this human girl had a friend; a young wolf named Ludek," Roshan continued. "Together they would hunt, play and explore what the forest had to offer for them. And when there was danger in any shape or form, Ludek would protect Libena from harm. But the wolf god, Zoran, grew jealous of Zorana's fondness for the girl, so sent Ludek's brother, Veli, to hunt the girl down and eat her."

Crash and Eddie gasped, but Diego and the two mammoths shushed them.

"Somehow, Zorana heard of this plan, so warned Ludek of the danger," Roshan continued. "Ludek hurried to Libena's rescue, but found her den empty. He discovered that she was bathing in the river. But he then saw Veli approaching, and not noticing the girl in the river, slipped inside the den. He and Ludek met, and guided by courage, it wasn't long before Ludek had Veli dead on the floor."

This time, all the herd gasped.

"Ludek felt ashamed by what he had done, but when his little friend came into the den and hugged him, all his guilt melted away," Roshan said. "But then, Zoran entered the den, and when he saw what Ludek had done, he said, 'You have killed your own brother, and now, I shall punish all the animals for your sin. Communications between man and beasts will be forgotten, and they shall never again become friends.' Ludek nodded sadly, until Zorana showed up in the den, having heard what Zoran had said. And in response, she said, 'I cannot reverse what he has said, but since you did this for Libena, I shall ensure that she and all her ancestors will be able to communicate with all the animals. And if a human child is ever in the company of just animals for more than two days, then he or she shall gain the power to communicate with them, too.' And so, Zoran touched Ludek, giving him the curse. And Zorana touched Libena, giving her the gift."

When Roshan finished his story, the herd were staring at him in awe. Neither of them had ever heard a story such as that one; but then again, it was a human tale, so there was a good reason why.

"Whoa, what a cool story!" Crash complimented.

"Did it really happen?" Eddie asked.

"Don't know," Anlegg answered. "It was a story my Grandma used to tell us; she says that it's the story of how me and my family came to be able to communicate with animals. And how Roshan can, too."

"Now that I think about it, it does make a lot of sense," Ellie admitted.

Peaches giggled in agreement, before she let out a huge yawn. Manny chuckled at the sight.

"Looks like someone's getting tired," he commented.

"But Daddy, I'm not -yawn- sleepy," she said.

"Do what your father says, honey bunny," Ellie told her daughter, before curling her up in her trunk and settling down.

Crash and Eddie hung upside down from Ellie's tusks, and Sid settled into the awkward position on top of his stick, similar to the position he had slept in the night before. Roshan and Anlegg snuggled up close to one another in order to keep warn, Roshan having made a pillow of leaves.

"Night, Anlegg."

Anlegg smiled, before laying her head down on the make-shift pillow and closing her eyes.

"Good night, Roshan."

Roshan smiled down at her, before laying his head down also and joining her in sleepy land. Manny watched the two sleeping humans for a few moments, before he himself began to settle down, until he noticed Diego out of the corner of his eye. The sabre was sitting not very far off on top of a hill, having wondered away after the story had ended. He was looking up into the stars with a distant look on his face; Manny realized that something was wrong, so approached him slowly after making sure that Ellie and Peaches were OK.

"Something wrong?" he asked the sabre.

Diego didn't turn round, but he acknowledged Manny's presence with a sigh.

"You should know what's bothering me, Manny," he said, still not turning to face the mammoth.

"No...otherwise I wouldn't have asked," Manny pointed out.

Diego let out another sigh. Something had been eating away at his insides ever since the two humans had shown up. He knew what it was, but he just didn't know how to make it go away, or what to do about it. And most importantly, whether he should tell.

"It's to do with the boy," he finally said. "You told me that you found his mother at the edge of a river, where she pushed him to you. Did you ever think of how she got there?"

"No?" Manny questioned, getting suspicious of what Diego was telling him. "I know that it was something to do with the attack, but-"

"It was my fault," Diego immediately blurted out.

Manny seemed slightly shocked, but not surprised.

"I was the one who chased after her during the attack," Diego explained, finally turning to face Manny. "I chased her towards that waterfall, where she took a chance and jumped off it. I killed her, Manny. If I hadn't chased her there, then the boy would probably still have a mother. And evidently, he'd still have a father, and they'd both be home safely."

"Diego, you can't blame yourself for what happened," Manny tried to tell him. "OK, so you chased her, but remember that back then, you were under the influence of Soto. You're a changed tiger now, and you've learnt from you mistakes."

Diego looked away. Manny was right; he has learnt from his mistakes, and turning against Soto in the end probably made up for it.

"And besides," Manny added, turning to go back to his sleeping spot, "Roshan doesn't seem to blame you."

Diego turned his gaze towards Roshan, who was sleeping peacefully besides Anlegg. They were both so innocent. Diego realized that he had to at least make it up to the both of them, whether Roshan blames him or not; he had to protect them, no matter what the cost. At least then it would relieve him of some of the guilt he bears.

* * *

Later on, when everyone was asleep, Scrat showed up next to the fire, and certain that everyone was asleep, he removed a stick from behind his back and stuck it in the fire. Unfortunately, Sid woke tiredly from his slumber at that exact moment, and noticed Scrat 'stealing' the fire.

"Hey! Stop! Thief!"

He leapt at the little squirrel, but Scrat leapt on top of his head with the end of the stick alight. He hopped away into the night, towards the den where Scratte was waiting.

* * *

The story Roshan told is from a book called The Sight by David Clement-Davies, which has helped me in some ways with this story. But I have tweaked it a bit in order to fit the story. Please review!


	8. Chase

thelonemongrel: I guess Roshan must have some sort of suspicions, since his father must have told him that she was chased by a sabre. I plan to have Diego tell him towards the end of the story, but you'll have to wait and see about Roshan's reaction.

FireChildSlytherin5: Yeah, I really like his stories. There was Fire Bringer before that, and then there was the sequel to The Sight, called Fell. Have you read that one yet?

DiegoRedeemedLover: Yikes! Long review! Oh well, the more the merrier! I always thought that they may have been cousins, or something like that. Don't really know why. Glad you liked the moments that made you laugh! And if you liked that myth, then you should read David Clement-Davies' stories. They're probably some of the best out there for young adults. And I tweaked it so that the story was, in a way, similar as to what's going to happen in this one (but don't worry, it'll all end happily). And the confession won't be relatively soon; sometime towards the end of the story, maybe. Hope you like this next chapter!

goldenpuon: Yeah, I got it from this book called The Sight by David Clement-Davies. You should try reading his novels; I think you'll like them.

Paolokid12: Here's the next chapter for you!

tatianna: Is this update fast enough?

* * *

Chase

The twigs that were laying peacefully upon the dried out soil were momentarily disrupted by a paw print treading on top of them, the smaller ones snapping beneath the weight. The small sabre panicked at the fact that he had made some noise, so quickly hopped off of the twigs, only to land on some more and create even more noise.

"Quiet, Zeke!" Oscar hissed at him, as he and Hohots led the pack through the undergrowth, following the scent the two humans had left behind.

Zeke cowered at the glare Hohots was giving him, so quietly stepped over the twigs and followed on behind.

"If my tracking skills are correct," Oscar whispered to Hohots, "then the humans should be in this area somewhere."

Hohots suddenly paused, sniffing the air with his highly sensitive nose, and causing Oscar to halt, too.

"What is it?" he asked the larger sabre.

Hohots continued to sniff the air, before a look of pure hatred spread across his face; a small growl crept out of his mouth.

"Does that scent smell familiar to you?" he asked Oscar.

The smaller sabre sniffed the air like Hohots had done, before the same look of hatred passed onto his own face.

"Smells like the humans aren't the only ones in this area," he stated.

* * *

Unaware of the threat that was preparing to ambush them, the herd and the two humans continued with their morning routines; Manny and Ellie were struggling to give Peaches a wash, Crash and Eddie were collecting berries from a high bush, Sid was standing underneath them and catching the berries, Diego was just arriving back from his morning hunt, and Roshan and Anlegg were sharpening their spears. All seemed peaceful, until a stray bird shot out from the bushes and took to the air in panic, almost flying into Diego.

"Hey!" he yelled after it.

But the bird barely noticed him as it flew away as fast as it's wings could carry it. Everyone watched it in puzzlement.

"What's his problem?" Sid questioned, before a bunch of berries splattered onto the top of his head, causing him to yelp in surprise.

Crash and Eddie laughed at him from above, banging their fists together. Then, all of a sudden, a loud growl echoed across the woods, which caused the two possums to follow their instincts and play dead. They fell out of the high bush, and were both caught by Ellie; when she had placed them up on her back, she and everyone else turned towards Diego.

"Don't look at me," the sabre admitted.

There was another growl, and it was pretty clear to everyone that Diego wasn't the one growling. The herd turned towards the direction of the growl when it came again, and were all horrified to see a whole pack of sabres up on the hill, all looking menacingly down at them – four of which Diego recognized.

"It can't be..." Manny whispered.

"I think we'd better RUN!" Sid yelled, screaming as he began to run away in the opposite direction.

Manny grabbed him by the neck and threw him onto his back, before also grabbing Roshan around the waist and doing the same, then took off running. Ellie grabbed hold of Peaches and followed him. Diego turned to run too, but then noticed that Anlegg had frozen in fear. He turned to the other sabres, who had already began to charge towards them. So with lightning reactions, he dived in between Anlegg's legs, stood back up again, and took off after the others with the girl on his back.

Anlegg wasn't sure how to react at first to riding on Diego, but after a few minutes, the two of them were moving as one. And despite how much danger they were in, Anlegg laughed out loud.

"Glad you're having fun!" Roshan called over from where he was bouncing up and down an top of Manny.

Anlegg just laughed at him. This chase continued for a while, until the herd skidded to a halt suddenly. They had reached the edge of a cliff, and there was no was around it, and no way across it. The other side was just a few metres below, and at a distance where Diego could easily jump it. The mammoths, on the other hand, were stuck.

"We're gonna die!" Sid cried out.

Anlegg peered back at the bushes they had crashed through just moments before. She could hear the sabres coming, but she had an idea. Hopping off Diego, she took out two pieces of flint, and in an instant, she struck them together. The bushes burst into flames, knocking the sabres on the other side backwards in shock.

"That'll buy us some time," Anlegg explained.

"But how are we gonna get across?" Eddie asked, with Crash biting his nails next to him.

Roshan looked over to the other side, and noticed a large tree growing just by the edge. It was tall enough to reach across to their side if it fell; all they needed to do was get someone across to knock it down. He slid off of Manny, and idea forming in his head.

"Anlegg, do you think you can hit that tree with one of your arrows?" he asked the girl, pointing over to it.

Anlegg followed his gaze, and nodded.

"But what are you trying to do?" she asked him.

"Well, if you attach a rope to one of your arrows and hit that tree with it, then we can get across to it and chop it down," Roshan explained. "Then it'll give the others a pathway across."

"Wow, how'd you think of that?" Sid asked.

"He used his brain, Sid," Manny explained to the sloth. "Something you should do more often."

While this exchange had been taking place, Anlegg had strung one of her bows, and taking aim, she fired it. The arrow soared in the air across the canyon, before wrapping itself round one of the branches of the tree. Roshan pulled on the rope to test it's strength, before trying it to another sturdy branch.

"Crash and Eddie can go first, since they're the lightest," he said. "Me and Anlegg will follow and use our axes to chop the tree down. When it's ready, you all need to cross one at a time."

"But it's a long drop below," Sid pointed out fearfully. "I might fall."

Manny rolled his eyes.

"I'll take Sid with me," he said. "The tigers will be picking our bones out of their teeth before he crosses it himself."

"And I'll take Peaches with me," Ellie said, still clutching her daughter in her trunk.

Roshan and Anlegg nodded. Crash and Eddie leapt from Ellie's back and scurried across the rope to the other side, before Roshan and Anlegg used some more rope to wrap around the rope leading across, and zipped across the canyon in an instant. When they reached the other side, the two humans took out their axes from their belts and prepared to cut the tree down.

"One three," Roshan commanded. "One, two, three!"

They both swung their axes at the tree, and each one cut deep into the bark. They swung again, and again, and again, and after several swings, the tree began to tip towards the canyon.

"It's working!" Anlegg exclaimed.

"Quick! Help it along!" Roshan shouted, as the two of them began to push it in the right direction.

Crash and Eddie helped out also, and it wasn't long before the top of the tree crashed down onto the other side, providing a pathway across.

"Hurry up!" Roshan called over to the others. "Lightest first!"

So Diego went first, followed by Ellie with Peaches. Manny went last with Sid, but just a few steps before they reached the other side, the tree began to give way. Manny realized what was happening, so leapt the last few steps across. His front feet landed on solid ground, but his hind legs fell upon the tree, pushing it downwards so it fell into the canyon.

"Manny!" Roshan cried out, grabbing hold of the mammoth's trunk.

Manny began to slide backwards, and Sid let out a strangled scream when he saw the drop below him.

"Roshan!" Anlegg cried, grabbing hold of her friend's outer clothing and pulling him back.

Diego grabbed hold of her outer clothing and did the same, followed by Ellie who wrapped her trunk around the sabre's waist. Working together, the four of them were able to pull Manny up onto solid ground.

"That...was..." Sid was just able to croak out, before he slid off of Manny's back and landed on the hard ground.

"Daddy!" Peaches squealed, running over to her father and giving him a hug.

Manny hugged her back, a smile spread across his face.

"We'd better go," Roshan suggested. "That fire won't be able to hold them back for that much longer."

They hurried away at a fast pace, but it wasn't long before something was missed.

"My arrows!" Anlegg cried out. "I left them back at the cliff!"

Without another word, she turned and ran back to get them. Roshan went to go after her, but Diego placed a paw in front of the boy to stop him.

"I'll go," he told him. "The rest of you stay here."

And before any of them could make any argument against him, Diego hurried away in the direction Anlegg had taken. He crashed through the undergrowth in pursuit, surprised by how fast that girl could move. He couldn't see her ahead of him at all. He was also surprised by the fact that she wasn't making a sound, but he soon found out why when he smashed his way through the last set of bushes and came to a dead halt.

In the centre of the clearing, Anlegg was being pinned down by Lenny, a look of pure terror spread across her face. Three other sabres started towards Diego, and despite two of them being Zeke and Oscar, Diego's attention was fixed upon the large sabre in the middle. It was a face that he was all too familiar with.

"Well, well, well," Hohots began.

"Look who decided to show up," Oscar finished for him.

"What do you want?" Diego questioned with hate.

"Revenge for Soto," Oscar answered.

"And me? Revenge against you," Hohots added.

"Then let the girl go; she's not apart of this," Diego said, trying not to make it look like he was begging. "She's done nothing wrong."

"On contraire," Oscar corrected him, before revealing the scar that was cut across his shoulder. "She gave me this the day we attacked the village."

"Don't worry," Hohots assured him. "We won't hurt her...yet."

More sabres began to appear, all circling Diego like they were hunting helpless prey.

"You, on the other hand, need to be taught a lesson," Hohots finished, right before the first sabre pounced.

* * *

The herd could hear the snarls and growls of the other sabres, and flinched as each one echoed through the trees towards them. Then, just as quickly as it had started, it stopped.

"Come on!" Roshan encouraged, before they all crashed through the bushes back the way they had come.

"Diego!" Manny called.

"Diego!" Ellie joined in.

"Anlegg!" Roshan cried out.

"Diego! Anlegg!" Crash and Eddie yelled in turn.

Sid just silently followed with Peaches next to him, fearing the worst. The herd pulled aside more bushes, and gasped at the sight they saw.

"Diego!" Ellie cried.

Diego was lying motionless in the centre of the clearing, covered in dirt and scratches that the other sabres had give him. Roshan hurried forwards and knelt down beside him.

"Diego! Diego, wake up!" he begged, shaking the cat worriedly.

Diego's eyes fluttered open, and he acknowledged Roshan leaning over him with a grunt.

"Diego, where's Anlegg?" Roshan asked.

But Diego's next few words were enough to rock the boy's world completely.

"They took her."

* * *

Sorry if that chapter seemed a little rushed. It was a difficult one to do.

I finally was able to see Alice In Wonderland yesterday, and I wasn't disappointed! It's the best film I've seen in a long time! Definitely worth seeing again and again! And Johnny Depp was just awesome in it; and I couldn't help but notice some Jack Sparrow traits in his performance :)


	9. Rescue Mission

**Firstly, I'd like to thank sweetheartbuck for sending me a message and giving me an idea for this chapter! You've really helped me out! I feared that I was heading into writer's block :(**

FireChildSlytherin5: Yeah, I completely agree!

summerrayah: Your review made me laugh! Thanks for cheering me up!

tatianna: Here's the next chapter for you!

Paolokid12: I will try, but I'm just a bit busy with college work and such at the moment. But congratulations on starting your first story!

pachysam: Yeah, big fan of JD.

thelonemongrel: That's what I was going for, because I was imagining it as a scene rather than a piece of text. Thanks for the review!

Random Reviewer the 2nd: Thanks for the review!

FireflyAndTaylor900: Wow, thanks for the review! I didn't realize that my story was this good!

DiegoRedeemedLover: No worries about the late review. And if you ever get the chance to read his books, then you should. They're some of the best out there! As well as the Chronicles of Ancient Darkness. And I'm glad you liked the chapter! Yes, I laughed myself when I first came up with that line! Oh, and Diego's injuries aren't that severe. And Alice In Wonderland is a brilliant film, so it'll be well worth seeing it!

**And a note to all of you: I have done a picture of Anlegg on my deviant account, if you all wanna have a look? The link to my account is on my profile page. But don't expect anything impressive. I'm not the best artist in the world. **

* * *

Rescue Mission

Gazing out over the vast landscape, Diego couldn't help but feel that he had failed to keep his vow. He had promised to keep the two humans safe, but now, Anlegg was gone and it was all his fault. He knew what the sabres were up to. They intended to use Anlegg to lure Roshan to them, and when there was no way out for either human, kill them both. And if they got the chance, it was more than likely that they would kill the rest of the herd, too. It was just like them to do that. It was just like Hohots to do that.

So deep in thought, he didn't notice Roshan come up behind him. The boy let out a deep sigh. He knew that Diego blamed himself for Anlegg's capture, but he also knew that it wasn't Diego's fault. How could it be? He had been fighting a losing battle, where he could have just easily made a run for it. But he didn't, and that was what made it all the more clearer that Diego wasn't to blame in all this.

Roshan slowly approached the big cat and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Diego, please, you can't blame yourself for what happened," he pleaded. "It was a battle you simply couldn't win."

Diego let out a sigh. He admired the boy's persistence, but no matter how much he begged and pleaded, Diego knew that Roshan couldn't lift the guilt that hung over the sabre's head. And the only reason being that the guilt stretched back to an event long before Roshan and Anlegg showed up.

"It's not just that, though," he told the boy. "You need to remember that I was one of the sabres who started all this. I was apart of the pack who first attacked your village all those years ago. And, if I didn't do that, then all this wouldn't be happening."

Diego also knew that he was guilty of the death of Roshan's mother, but he couldn't tell that to Roshan. Not now, anyway. The boy already had enough to deal with.

"I can see where you're coming from, Diego, but just remind yourself of everything good that has come out of it," Roshan explained. "I mean, if you hadn't done that, then you would never have met Manny, or Sid – but I doubt that you wanted to meet Sid in the first place. And I doubt that Manny would ever have met Ellie, so then Peaches would never have been born."

Thinking it through, Diego realized that Roshan was right. Even though that one attack led to the sabres wanting revenge and kidnapping Anlegg, it had led to a lot of good stuff, too. Diego was part of a family he had always wanted; they might not all be sabres, but they still seemed like a family in a sense. Sid not so much, but there's always one in every family.

"And if you hadn't done that, then I would never have met Anlegg," Roshan finished, turning away with a distant look on his face.

Diego looked up to the boy, before turning away with a smile on his face. He had seen the look. The same look Manny had whenever he was with Ellie; love. Roshan was, without a doubt, in love with Anlegg. And it was this factor which made Diego all the more determined to bring the girl back. Forgiveness for what he had done all those years ago.

Diego's face suddenly lightened up when a thought lit a light in his brain, and Roshan sensed Diego's sudden change in posture immediately.

"Diego, what's up?" he asked.

Diego turned to him with a smile on his face.

"I have an idea."

* * *

Outside Half Peak, the sabres were waiting for any signs of the human boy, coming to rescue his damsel-in-distress. Hohots and Oscar were waiting high up above the others, and Oscar rolled his eyes when another one of Zeke's yelps carried across the peak.

"Zeke, will you shut up!" he snapped, turning his head around.

Both Zeke and Lenny appeared from around the corner, Zeke rubbing his head which now had a bruise.

"But she won't stay still!" he complained, referring to Anlegg, who they had been told to keep an eye on. "She keeps hitting us and kicking us, and those long talon things keep pulling at my fur! Do you know how much of it I've lost!?!"

Oscar just rolled his eyes and returned his gaze to the distance, where he expected the boy to approach from.

But what he _didn't_ know was that Roshan was already _at _Half Peak, along with Diego, Sid, Crash and Eddie. Ellie and Peaches had stayed back at the den, due to Manny getting paranoid when they offered to come. Roshan and Diego poked their heads out from behind and rock to spy on the sabres, before they retreated back again, satisfied with what they had seen.

"OK, so we all know the plan, right?" Roshan asked the others.

They all nodded their heads.

"Then let's do it," Diego said.

Roshan crept over to another large rock and hid behind it, and after picking up a small rock, he leapt out and threw it at the sabres. It hit Zeke square in the nose, and he yelped in surprise as he used his paws to cover the injured area. The other sabres all turned their attentions towards Roshan.

"What do you call a tiger with half a brain?" Roshan shouted at them. "Gifted!"

Lenny started to laugh, but stopped when Zeke slapped him upside the head.

"He's talking about us!" he snapped.

Both Oscar and Hohots leapt down from their place high up, and together, they slowly began to approach Roshan.

"For your last meal, you're gonna eat those words," Oscar growled.

But Roshan was already scurrying away. He ran past another large rock, where Sid was waiting behind it; the sloth tossed him a flat piece of wood, and once Roshan caught it, he leapt onto it and began to snowboard down the hill, with the sabres chasing after him. Sid sniffed on a tear as he watched him.

"They grow up so fast!" he sniffed, before hurrying back to where Diego and the two possums were waiting.

Together, the four of them crept inside Half Peak, and it didn't take them very long to find Anlegg huddled up in a corner. When she heard someone approaching, the girl looked up, and her face brightened up when she recognized who it was.

"Diego!" she cried, hurrying over and flinging her arms around the sabre's neck. "Sid! Crash! Eddie! What are you guys doing here?"

"Rescuing you!" Crash answered.

Anlegg looked around for everyone else – Roshan in particular – but when she couldn't see them, her face bared a confused expression.

"Where are the others?" she asked.

"Ellie and Peaches are back at the den," Diego explained. "Roshan lured the other sabres away to where Manny is waiting, with a little surprise for them."

"Then let's go!" Anlegg exclaimed, before the five of them took off in the direction Roshan had gone in.

* * *

Roshan continued to snowboard across the snow-covered landscape, with the sabres hot on his tail. He swerved left and right, and crouched down even lower to gain more speed. And all was going well, until he looked over his shoulder to see how far behind the sabres where, and failed to notice a small rock sticking out of the snow right in his path. The board hit the rock, and the jolt threw Roshan from the board, causing him to land and roll in the snow.

But he didn't waist any time in picking himself up and hurrying around the corner. The other sabres followed, but Oscar, Zeke and Lenny skidded to a halt. They knew what was coming, and Oscar was able to hold out a paw and stop Hohots, too.

"What are you doing?" the larger sabre asked.

But just as he said this, the other sabres rounded the corner, and gasped at what was in front of them.

"Surprise!" Manny yelled, before using his tusks to push over a huge pile of logs he had collected earlier on.

They all rolled towards the sabres, and the last that Hohots, Oscar, Zeke and Lenny ever saw of the pack was them being chased away by dozens and dozens of rolling logs. It was then that Anlegg, Diego, Sid, Crash and Eddie arrived on the scene, and the two sides sized each other up.

"Noble, Diego. Very noble," Hohots said, as he and the other three sabres crept forwards. "But we're not willing to go down without a fight, and I think the one between you and me has been long over-due."

he leapt forwards, and he and Diego fought. And everyone else got involved, too; Roshan took out his spear and fought Oscar, Crash and Eddie kept jumping on Zeke and threw rocks at him, and Manny swung his tusks at Lenny. Anlegg and Sid were the only ones left not fighting, but Anlegg knew that she had to help.

"Anlegg, no!" Roshan yelled, when he saw her trying to enter the fight. "You and Sid need to get to safety!"

"C'mon!" Sid encouraged her, tugging on her arm.

Anlegg gave into him and allowed Sid to lead her away, but once they were higher up, Anlegg came to a halt and looked back down at the fight. They were her friends and they needed her help. She darted her eyes about her for something that could work, until they settled upon a log in the shape of a 'Y'. She then turned her eyes towards the peak high above them, and they spied the snow loosely covering it.

"I've got an idea!" she exclaimed.

The fight continued, during which Diego had been pinned down by Hohots, the big cat standing above him with one paw raised.

Neither of them noticed Anlegg, who had convinced Sid to act as a sling and attach himself to the 'Y' shaped log. After placing a fury ball on his stomach, she pulled Sid backwards and aimed at the snow on the peak.

"Sloths aren't supposed to stretch this far!" Sid gasped in pain.

Too late did the ball uncurl to reveal Scrat, who had been resting after tending to Scratte 24/7; and once he saw how much danger he was in, he let out a strangled screech. Anlegg let go of Sid and fell backwards, whilst Sid just flew forwards and slammed straight into a tree; Scrat, though, was sent hurtling into the snow-covered peak, his screech growing more distant as he went. And when he hit it, it began an avalanche.

The fight came to a halt as a low rumble echoed all around. Everyone including Hohots looked up, which gave Diego a chance to push the larger sabre off of him. The ground began to shake as the snow rolled towards them.

"MOVE! NOW!" Manny yelled, as he grabbed hold of Roshan with his trunk and ducked behind a large rock.

He was soon joined by Anlegg, Sid, Diego, Crash and Eddie, and Hohots dived behind another rock on the other side. The other three sabres, on the other hand, weren't so lucky. They tried running, but the snow carried them away to what was probably their deaths.

When it was over, the herd crept out of their hiding space, and there was a moment's silence before they all began to cheer.

"Way to go, Anlegg!" Roshan cried, as he lifted her up and spun her around.

Crash and Eddie gave each other high fives, whilst Sid just fainted with happiness. Diego and Manny exchanged smiled. Neither of them noticed Hohots glare at Anlegg with hate, and too late did they all realize that the larger sabre was still alive. He pounced and knocked Anlegg to the ground.

"NO!" Roshan called out.

Hohots raised a paw above his head, but before he could do anything to Anlegg, Diego leapt at him and pinned him. And before he could stop himself, Diego gave him a deathly blow.

Everyone was in shock. They stared at Diego with wide faces, and Sid fainted once more. It was only when Diego looked down did he realize what he had just done. He immediately leapt off the body of Hohots, shocked by how he had just acted in order to save Anlegg. Everyone else was shocked, but he was the most shocked of all.

Because unknown to everyone but him, Diego had just killed his own brother.

* * *

DUN DUN DUN! Sorry if that ending seemed a bit rushed. Please review and tell me how I did! Oh, and if anyone has any pairing name ideas for Roshan/Anlegg, then please let me know (e.g. Willabeth)!


	10. Resolutions

**Update 13/7/10: See bottom for announcement. **

DiegoRedeemedLover: I've already told you that I love longer reviews! So I don't mind! And I guess I didn't see that theme, so thanks for pointing it out! I can really see how it works. I love the original film, which explains why there are so many references to it in this story. And the herd don't know, but they'd still be a bit shocked, right? And I LOVE that pairing name! It really works! And you seriously need to get an account! I'd really like to read any stories you might have in mind!

LadyLioness: Yes, you can thank sweetheartbuck for the outline. Really helped me out! And I guess with me, ideas come naturally...but like other authors, I do need help some time.

Random Reviewer the 2nd: Glad you liked it! It's gonna slow down in this chapter, but that's mainly because it's a resolutions chapter.

FireChildSlytherin5: Thanks for the review!

pachysam: Do you have an account on here, 'cause I think you'd be able to write pretty good stories. And I'll use some of those quotes if they fit.

goldenpuon: The other sabres are, well, dead, or if not dead, never going to return. But don't worry, it'll all work out in this chapter.

thelonemongrel: Well, I'm not really planning on doing a sequel, so it's happily ever after without any bad guys coming back. All stories have to have an ending, you know.

Paolokid12: Diego does know that Hohots is his brother, which makes the guilt even worse. And I'll try to read your story, but I'm just busy at the moment. I barely had enough time to update this.

Maui Girl 808: That secret was kept pretty well, wasn't it?

sweetheartbuck: That idea is good, but this chapter isn't supposed to have any sort of action in it. Just a sort of apology and forgiveness chapter. And the sabres are pretty much gone for good now. And I'm actually quite honoured that you called my story the best Ice Age story online!

FireflyAndTaylor900: Here's the next chapter for you!

Master Phant: I already have an idea for what Roshan's reaction will be, but thanks anyway!

tatianna: Thanks for the review, and here's the next chapter!

Bobbie: Yeah, if only Fox looked on here more often...

**And thanks to DiegoRedeemedLover, the official pairing name for Roshan/Anlegg is Roshlegg. Thanks DR+L! **

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Resolutions

The journey home was spent in silence. Roshan and Anlegg walked up front with the possums scurrying ahead of them, and Roshan with an arm around Anlegg's shoulders. Behind them, Sid padded slowly along, and behind him came Manny. Diego dragged on behind at the back, his head hung low and his paws sinking deep into the snow. He still hadn't told his friends what he had done, and he was silently debating over whether he should tell them or not. He was already unsure about whether to tell Roshan that he was the sabre who killed his mother; the last thing he needed was the guilt of two deaths eating away at his soul.

Ellie and Peaches were waiting at the den, and when they saw the rescue party approaching, both leapt up and hurried forwards.

"Manny, I'm so glad you're all OK!" Ellie cried, as hers and Manny's trunks became intertwined before their faces pressed together in a hug.

"Anlegg!" Peaches cried out in delight.

Anlegg barely had time to gasp before the little mammoth leapt on top of her like a dog, giving her face dozens of trunk kisses. Anlegg couldn't help but laugh.

"Yes, I know! I'm fine!" she told the young mammoth, pushing her kindly off her.

"What happened?" Ellie asked.

"Well, I distracted the sabres while Sid, Crash, Eddie and Diego rescued Anlegg-" Roshan began to explain, but was interrupted by Sid.

"Yeah, he led them away by sliding on tree bark!" the sloth said, doing a demonstration, which didn't last very long since he fell backwards with a shriek.

"I led them to Manny, who knocked all but four out with a pile of logs," Roshan continued.

"Which was when we arrived, and the fighting started," Anlegg added.

"We all took on a sabre each!" Eddie said with pride.

"Besides Anlegg and Sid, who both made a run for it," Crash added.

"But I felt bad about leaving them, so I used Sid as a sling-shot to fire something at the snow on a cliff," Anlegg explained. "This caused an avalanche, which carried three of the four Smilodons away."

"The fourth one got angry and leapt at Anlegg," Sid continued.

"And that's when Diego knocked him off her, and finished him off once and for all!" Crash finished.

"Really?"Ellie questioned. "Is that true, Diego?"

But when everyone turned their heads, Diego wasn't there. He was standing a short distance away, his head hung low and his whole being showing a sense of guilt. After exchanging confused glances with one another, the herd wandered over to the big cat.

"Is something wrong, Diego?" Ellie finally asked after a short silence.

Diego let out a sigh. He might as well tell them now and get it over with.

"Hohots," he began, "was more than just another sabre."

"When I was captured, I heard that he used to be a part of your old pack," Anlegg remembered. "Was he your best friend, or something?"

"Was he your sister's cousin's great uncle twice removed?" Sid asked.

Everyone – including Peached and excluding Diego – turned to look at him in confusion.

"What?" the sloth asked innocently.

Diego barely even noticed Sid's question.

"Hohots was...my brother."

This shocked everyone. They all stared at Diego with wide eyes and open mouths; dribble began to dangle from the mouth of Crash, and a fly flew inside Sid's mouth which caused him to chock for a few moments before spitting it out, the poor fly now covered in saliva.

"He was your..._brother?_" Anlegg gasped.

Diego didn't even answer the question; he just began to tell his story like the question hadn't been asked at all.

"Like all brothers, we were close when we were cubs," he explained. "It was only as we grew older that he started to change; he became more solitary and serious, and would wander away from the pack for hours on end."

Diego took a deep breath, before continuing.

"One day, a cub wandered away on it's own, and I was sent to go look for it. But I heard a disturbance in a canyon nearby, so I followed the noise and took a look round the corner. The cub had, for some reason, followed Hohots, and he didn't like that. If I had gotten there just a few minutes before, then that cub would still be..."

He trailed off, but the others understood what he meant.

"I didn't hesitate to tell the rest of the pack what he had done," Diego continued. "Hohots was banished and told never to come back, but before he left, he vowed to get his revenge on me, and cried that I was no longer his brother. And I guess after seeing what he had done, I felt the same way. But he was still my brother, and I killed him."

"In saving Anlegg," Roshan told him.

"He's right," Anlegg agreed. "It was a life for a life. Me or him. You only did what was right by your conscience."

At these words, Diego realized that she was right. He had made his choice, and he had chosen for Anlegg to live. And he would rather have her alive than killed by Hohots.

"But, that's not all the guilt that I bare," he began again. "Kid, you remember before, when I told you that I was one of the sabres who started all this?"

"Yes?" Roshan said questionably.

"Well, I was much more apart of it than you probably think I was," he continued. "I...I was the one who chased your mother that day. I was the one who cornered her, and gave her the choice to live or die. So in a way, I...I killed her."

He avoided eye contact with the boy. Roshan was silent for a few moments, before Diego felt a hand rest on his shoulder blade.

"Diego, I already told you, just think about all the good that came out of what happened," Roshan explained.

"What happened in the past, stays in the past," Manny said. "You've got to live for today, not yesterday."

"And sometimes, sacrifices have to be made for all the good stuff to happen in life," Sid added.

Everyone turned to him in shock.

"What? I have my moments," Sid explained, shrugging.

"So, you're not angry?" Diego asked Roshan, finally looking up at him.

The boy shook his head.

"I made my peace with her departure a long time ago," he explained. "And I think that you need to, too. But if you feel that guilty about it, then I give you my forgiveness."

Diego smiled up at the boy, the feeling of guilt finally lifting from his gut and setting itself free.

"But what happens now?" Eddie asked.

"Yeah, are you guys gonna stay, or what?" Crash asked the two humans.

Both children turned to each other, and for the first time, saw each other in a whole new light. Anlegg thought Roshan a handsome, sweet and brave boy, and Roshan thought Anlegg a beautiful, intelligent and witty girl. There and then, the two of them decided in silence that no matter where they went, they would always be together.

"Well, we _are_ humans," Roshan answered, "so we probably should _be with_ one of our own."

The animals looked down to the ground, trying to hide the disappointment in their eyes. But the two humans just smiled happily at them.

"So I'll be with Roshan, and Roshan will be with me," Anlegg added.

The herd all lifted their heads up quickly, their looks of disappointment having been replaced with looks of joy. Roshan and Anlegg turned to one another once more, and leaning forwards, their noses touched.

They felt as if they truly belonged with the herd, so that was where they would stay.

* * *

In a cave not very far away, the paintings that Manny, Diego and Sid had come across during their first adventure remained untouched. Particularly the one of the three mammoths; but this changed when the spirit of a human woman brushed past it, leaving behind a new picture entirely. The three mammoths were still there, but with them were two possums, two humans, a sloth, and a sabre-toothed cat.

* * *

Scrat felt like all the blood was being squeezed out of his front paw as Scratte gripped it tightly, breathing deeply whilst trying to push out the small bundle of joy that was inside her. Scrat's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets when Scratte squeezed his paw even harder, giving that one final push.

Two small cries were heard, and when both parents turned to look, they saw two little squirrels laying by Scratte's feet; a boy and a girl. Both uncurled themselves and blinked a couple of times, before their eyes opened to see the world for the first time. They each made little cooing noises with happiness. Both parents smiled down upon them with pride, before Scratte picked up the acorn – that had been sitting in the corner of their den – and handed it to the little ones. Both gripped hold of it, closing their eyes and pressing their heads against it.

This only lasted for a few moments, before the little girl squirrel snatched the acorn off her brother, and allowed him to fall in a heap in front of her. He sat back up again angrily, and grabbing hold of the acorn also, they began to fight for it, both pulling and tugging it forwards and backwards.

And all Scrat and Scratte could do was exchange knowing glances.

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FIN! A HUGE thanks to all those who have read and reviewed this story! Would have been nice for my story to reach 100 reviews, but I guess we can't all have anything! And thanks to those who gave me inspiration for certain parts of the story; you all know who you are!

I wasn't intending to do a sequel, but after seeing the reaction this story got, I'm starting to reconsider. But if I ever do a sequel, it won't be for a while, since any sequel idea I have is pretty rough in my head. If any of you have any ideas for one, don't hesitate to tell me about it!

**UPDATE: The sequel is finally up! Actually, it's been up for some time now, but I decided to notify you all via this message. It's called Ice Age 5: Continental Drift, and I hope you all like it! Oh, and I've also done a songfic for this story, called No Way Out. Please read both!**

Once again, thanks to all those who have read and reviewed!


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